Packaging device

ABSTRACT

A packaging device for packaging workpieces having a small size includes a controller, a receiving tray for receiving the workpieces, a vibrating plate for vibrating the receiving tray, a rotatable support mechanism, a vacuum grip device attached to the rotatable support mechanism, a packaging assembly, and a positioning assembly. The positioning assembly includes a delivery mechanism and an image sensor attached to the rotatable support mechanism. The delivery mechanism is used for supporting the receiving tray vibrated by the vibrating plate. The image sensor detects positions of the workpieces and sends position signals to the controller; the controller, according to the position signals, drives the rotatable support mechanism to bring the vacuum grip device to catch and position the workpieces to the packaging assembly to be packaged.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure generally relates to packaging devices and particularly to a packaging device for packaging small workpieces.

2. Description of Related Art

Electronic devices (such as mobile phones) comprise many small workpieces (e.g., keys). After these workpieces are produced, the workpieces need to be packaged before being delivered, to prevent damage during transport to an assembly line or plant. However, because these workpieces are so small and produced in large quantities, manual packaging is difficult and time consuming.

Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed above clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a packaging device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment viewed from a first angle.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the packaging device of FIG. 1 viewed from a second angle.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of circled portion III of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a packaging device 100. The packaging device 100 may be used for packaging workpieces such as keys of mobile phones. The packaging device 100 includes a table 10, a controller 15, a feeding assembly 20, a fetching assembly 30, a positioning assembly 40, and a packaging assembly 50. The feeding assembly 20, the fetching assembly 30, the positioning assembly 40, and the packaging assembly 50 all are assembled to the table 10. The controller 15 controls the positioning assembly 40 to position the workpieces, and controls the fetching assembly 30 to fetch and place the workpieces at the packaging assembly 50 to be packaged.

Referring to FIG. 2, the table 10 includes a main body 11, a mounting board 12 assembled on a top of the main body 11, and an extending frame 13 fixed to the main body 11. The controller 15 may be assembled on the mounting board 12. The extending frame 13 is attached to a side of the main body 11. The feeding assembly 20 includes a vibrating plate 21 and a receiving tray 22 attached on the vibrating plate 21. The vibrating plate 21 is assembled on the extending frame 13. The receiving tray 22 has a bottom 221 made of transparent material, such as glass, to allow passage of light. The receiving tray 22 is used for receiving the workpieces.

The fetching assembly 30 includes a support 31, a rotatable support mechanism 32, and a capturing mechanism 33. The support 31 is mounted on the mounting board 12. The rotatable support mechanism 32 is supported by the support 31. The rotatable support mechanism 32 has a chassis 321, an arm 322, and a fixing portion 323. The chassis 321 is attached on the support 31. The arm 322 is attached to the chassis 321 and is rotatable about the chassis 321 in a horizontal plane parallel to the mounting board 12. The fixing portion 323 is rotatably attached to an end of the arm 322 away from the chassis 321. The capturing mechanism 33 includes a cylinder 331 and a vacuum grip device 332. The cylinder 331 is assembled to the fixing portion 323. The vacuum grip device 332 is connected to the cylinder 331, for capturing the workpieces.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the positioning assembly 40 includes a fixing ledge 41, an image sensor 42, and a delivery mechanism 43. The fixing ledge 41 is secured to the fixing portion 323. The image sensor 42 is fastened to the fixing ledge 41, and captures images of the workpieces and transmits the images to the controller 15. The controller 15 then analyzes the images to obtain precise positions of the workpieces and then drives the rotatable support mechanism 32 to capture the workpieces. The image sensor 42 may be a charge-coupled device. The delivery mechanism 43 includes a delivery tray 431 and a light source 432 (best shown in FIG. 3) mounted on the delivery tray 431. The delivery tray 431 may be driven by a robotic arm (not shown), to be movably attached on the mounting board 12. The delivery tray 431 is used for fixing the receiving tray 22. When the receiving tray 22 having workpieces therein is placed on the delivery tray 431, light from the light source 432 shines through the bottom 221, providing enough light for high contrast imaging by the image sensor 42 so that the controller 15 can accurately determine positions of the workpieces.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the packaging assembly 50 includes a drive member 51, a packaging stage 52, a first support bar 53, a second support bar 54, a first feeding roller 55, a second feeding roller 56, a pressing roller 57, a collecting roller 58, and a location sensor 59. The drive member 51 may be a motor installed on the mounting board 12. The packaging stage 52 may be strip-shaped and is mounted on the mounting board 12, and located between the rotatable support mechanism 32 and the delivery mechanism 43. A first guiding axle 521 and a second guiding axle 522 are attached to a top surface of the packaging stage 52 and located at two ends of the packaging stage 52, respectively. The first feeding roller 55 is held by the first support bar 53. The collecting roller 58 is held by the second support bar 54. The first feeding roller 55 is located above the packaging stage 52 and extends beyond an end of the packaging stage 52 having the first guiding axle 521. The collecting roller 58 is located above the packaging stage 52 and extends beyond an opposite end of the packaging stage 52 having the second guiding axle 522. The second feeding roller 56 is located above the packaging stage 52 and positioned between the first feeding roller 55 and the collecting roller 58, and extends beyond the end of the packaging stage 52 having the second guiding axle 522. The pressing roller 57 is connected to the drive member 51 and is opposite to an end of the packaging stage 52 having the second guiding axle 522. The location sensor 59 may be secured to a middle portion of the packaging stage 52 to detect the workpieces. Only the workpieces detected by the location sensor 59 can be captured by the rotatable support mechanism 32.

A first packaging film 60 is wound on the first feeding roller 55. A second packaging film 70 is wound on the second feeding roller 56. The first packaging film 60 extends around the first guiding axle 521 to extend along the packaging stage 52, then extends around the second guiding axle 522 and the pressing roller 57 to be wound on the collecting roller 58. The second packaging film 70 extends around the second guiding axle 522 and the pressing roller 57 to be wound on the collecting roller 58, together with the first packaging film 60. The first and second packaging films 60, 70 are pressed together when passing the pressing roller 57.

In use, several workpieces are received in the receiving tray 22. Then the receiving tray 22 is placed on the vibrating plate 21. The vibrating plate 21 is turned on to vibrate the workpieces so that they will vibrate apart and settle into non-overlapping positions on the receiving tray 22. The receiving tray 22 is then placed on the delivery tray 431. The light source 432 is turned on to backlight the workpieces on the receiving tray 22. The delivery tray 431 is moved in a correct position, to enable some of the workpieces in the receiving tray 22 to be detected by the location sensor 59. When the location sensor 59 detects some of the workpieces, the location sensor 59 sends signals to the rotatable support mechanism 32. Accordingly, the arm 322 of rotatable support mechanism 32 rotates to bring the image sensor 42 and the capturing mechanism 33 to be above the receiving tray 22. The image sensor 42 detects positions of each workpiece detected by the location sensor 59 and sends signals of positions of the workpieces to the controller 15, thus the controller 15 drives the rotatable support mechanism 32, adjusting the vacuum grip device 332 to be aligned with one of the workpieces. Then, the cylinder 331 drives the vacuum grip device 332 to move to the workpiece to adsorb the workpiece. The workpiece adsorbed by the vacuum grip device 332 is placed on the first packaging film 60. The collecting roller 58 draws the first packaging film 60 with the workpiece and the second packaging film 70 to move along the packaging stage 52. When the workpiece passes the pressing roller 57, the drive member 51 drives the pressing roller 57 to press the second packaging film 70 onto the first packaging film 60, thereby packaging the workpiece between the first and second packaging films 60, 70.

It is to be understood, however, that even through numerous characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of assembly and function, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A packaging device for packaging workpieces having a small size, the packaging device comprising: a controller; a receiving tray for receiving the workpieces; a vibrating plate for vibrating the receiving tray; a rotatable support mechanism; a vacuum grip device attached to the rotatable support mechanism; a packaging assembly; and a positioning assembly, the positioning assembly comprising: a delivery mechanism, the delivery mechanism supporting the receiving tray vibrated by the vibrating plate; and an image sensor attached to the rotatable support mechanism; wherein the image sensor detects positions of the workpieces and sends position signals to the controller; the controller drives the rotatable support mechanism to bring the vacuum grip device to catch the workpieces and position the workpieces to the packaging assembly to be packaged according to the position signals.
 2. The packaging device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a table; wherein the receiving tray has a bottom made of transparent material; the delivery mechanism has a delivery tray movably attached on the table and a light source mounted on the delivery tray; when the delivery tray is placed on the delivery tray, light of the light source transmits through the bottom of the receiving tray.
 3. The packaging device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rotatable support mechanism has a chassis attached to the table, an arm rotatably attached to the chassis, and a fixing portion rotatably attached to an end of the arm; the vacuum grip device is connected to a cylinder assembled to the fixing portion.
 4. The packaging device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the positioning assembly further comprises a fixing ledge; the fixing ledge is secured to the fixing portion; the image sensor is fastened to the fixing ledge.
 5. The packaging device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the table has a main body and a mounting board assembled on a top of the main body; the vibrating plate is assembled to a side of the main body; the rotatable support mechanism and the delivery mechanism are mounted on the mounting board.
 6. The packaging device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the packaging assembly comprises a packaging stage, a first feeding roller, a collecting roller, a second feeding roller, and a pressing roller; the packaging stage is mounted on the mounting board and located between the rotatable support mechanism and the delivery mechanism; the first feeding roller is located above the packaging stage and extends beyond a first end of the packaging stage; the second feeding roller and the collecting roller are located above the packaging stage and extend beyond a second end of the packaging stage opposite to the first end; the second feeding roller is between the first feeding roller and the collecting roller; the pressing roller is opposite to the second end the packaging stage.
 7. The packaging device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the packaging assembly further has a drive member, a first guiding axle, and a second guiding axle; the pressing roller is connected to the drive member; the first and second guiding axles are attached to a top surface of the packaging stage and located at two ends of the packaging stage, respectively.
 8. The packaging device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the packaging assembly further includes a first packaging film wound on the first feeding roller and a second packaging film wound on the second feeding roller; the first packaging film rounds the first guiding axle to extend along the packaging stage, then rounds the second guiding axle and the pressing roller, to be wound on the collecting roller; the second packaging film rounds the second guiding axle and the pressing roller to be wound on the collecting roller, together with the first packaging film; the first and second packaging films are pressed together when passing the pressing roller.
 9. The packaging device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the packaging assembly further comprises a location sensor; the location sensor is secured to a middle portion of the packaging stage, to detect if the workpieces are held in a correct position; the controller drive the rotatable support mechanism to bring the image sensor and the vacuum grip device to adsorb and place the workpieces on the first packaging film when the location sensor detects that the workpieces are held in a correct position.
 10. The packaging device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the packaging assembly further comprises a first support bar and a second support bar both attached to the table; the first feeding roller is held by the first support bar; the collecting roller is held by the second support bar. 